T20 Cricket News

Zimbabwe decided to bat in their first Twenty20 in more than 16 months, and their only international match in the format before the World Twenty20 in a couple of months.

The country's cricket has been boosted by the return of several reputed former players to the coaching structure, and this tour presents them an opportunity to test how they measure up against strong opposition. Captain Prosper Utseya picked out his spinners as the side's main strength and said they will need to perform if Zimbabwe are to present a stiff challenge to the home side.

West Indies are looking to rediscover the winning touch after a dismal tour of Australia, and their batting in particular gets a lift with the return of the experienced Shivanrine Chanderpaul and the exciting pair of youngsters Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo. That means their top-order looks totally different from the one that turned out against Australia, where Chris Gayle, Travis Dowlin and Runako Morton were the top three. One other change is that Sulieman Benn takes over spin duties from Nikita Miller.

West Indies: 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), 7 Dwayne Smith, 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Sulieman Benn, 11 Ravi Rampaul

Zimbabwe: 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Charles Coventry, 4 Tatenda Taibu, 5 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 6 Brendan Taylor, 7 Greg Lamb, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Prosper Utseya (capt) , 9 Shingirai Masakadza, 10 Graeme Cremer, 11 Ray Price

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Australia's players could be a step closer to taking part in the IPL after receiving advice that the terrorist threat from the 313 Brigade was not credible. However, Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, has said there could still be "mass withdrawals" unless players receive a commitment that the IPL's security plans will be implemented at all venues.

The Australian IPL players currently on tour in New Zealand were given a briefing by a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official at the team hotel in Christchurch on Saturday. The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) has now been told by the security adviser Reg Dickason that the 313 Brigade threat is not credible but that does not mean the issues are resolved.

"Reg is comfortable that the threat is not credible but we still haven't received a commitment that the security plans will be implemented as laid out," Marsh told the Age. "The ball is in the IPL's court at the moment.

"They can give us the commitment to implement the plans or they can't. Let's hope that they can. Our understanding is it that they've done it before, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has done it. We keep saying, our players want to go."

May agreed that it was now in the hands of the organisers and local police to commit to implementing the security plans. "If the security situation does not improve, there could be mass withdrawals," May told the BBC. "There are just 13 days before the start of the tournament and security arrangements have still not been agreed.

"We would love to tell the players it is okay for them to go. But we can't give that assurance at the moment, because no one will say definitively that the security plan will be implemented at each of the venues."

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New Zealand 214 for 6 (McCullum 116*) tied with Australia 214 for 4 (Clarke 67, White 64*). New Zealand won after Super Over

A superb match needed a Super Over to split the teams and New Zealand prevailed to repay Brendon McCullum for his amazing century. McCullum became the second-highest scorer in a Twenty20 international with an unbeaten 116, but after Michael Clarke and Cameron White exploded in the reply the scores were tied at 214 after 40 overs.

A six-ball tiebreaker was required and the calm Tim Southee delivered another tight over to allow only six runs for White, David Warner and Brad Haddin. Shaun Tait's waywardness, including two wides, assisted the locals and Martin Guptill finished the game with a four over point from the third legitimate delivery.

The hosts were upset by a meek performance in Friday's one-sided defeat, but McCullum showed his might with an unforgettable 56-ball demolition on a small ground that was rocking at the start and the end. Things were much quieter as Clarke organised the chase with 67 from 45 and White provided some much-needed muscle with 64 off 26 in a pursuit that was almost perfectly timed. However, Clarke and White could only scurry two from the final ball when three were required, with Clarke run out well short of his ground.

Needing two off almost every delivery throughout the second innings, the Australians managed to stay on track after Warner departed for a McCullum-style 20 off 10. Haddin (47 off 37) and Clarke, who was travelling much quicker than his usual pace, were able to stay close to the rate so they required 125 from the final 60 balls.

James Franklin slowed things down briefly with the wickets of Haddin and David Hussey (10) before White's brute force arrived. White warmed up with a six over cover off Daniel Vettori, then caressed an inside-out clearance in the same area and was dropped on the boundary attempting a third.

He then powered two fours and a six off Franklin before flicking Shane Bond into the spectators at square leg. The 13 that came from Bond's final over left Australia wanting 36 off 18 deliveries, but the first of three magically controlled Southee efforts made it 30 from 12.

White survived a run-out and found two boundaries and a six down the ground off Jacob Oram to cut the margin to 12. In Southee's final over the bowler showed the maturity of a 30-year-old, not a boy who is 21, by delivering more pin-point yorkers to keep his side in the game.

And he proved it wasn't a fluke by doing it again in the Super Over. The result levelled the series and delivered Australia their first loss of their summer while setting up an intriguing five-match one-day contest beginning on Wednesday.

Despite the flurry of absorbing action at the end, it was McCullum's fireworks over the first half of the match that were the highlight. He showered boundaries around the tiny stadium and the change in attitude left the Australians, who had rested Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson, wondering if there was any way to stop the run avalanche. They were able to slow it a couple of times, but McCullum carried his team through the loss of six wickets and achieved the side's highest total.

His hundred came up in 50 balls, equalling the record of Chris Gayle, the only other century-maker in this format. It was achieved with a single to deep cover, at which point the batsman ripped off his helmet to take in the applause, but he was not finished and carried his bat. Nathan McCullum joined his brother at the end, getting 14 in a 50-run stand in 3.2 overs on an afternoon that stunned everyone.

The big crowd of 26,148 was sprinkled by McCullum's eight sixes and he backed up with a dozen fours during the barrage. Four of the boundaries came with "McScoops" past or over the wicketkeeper, but that was nothing compared to the two sixes he managed to shovel behind himself off Tait. It was brave and brutal - one of the clearances off Tait came from a 155kph thunderbolt.

McCullum proved he wouldn't be intimidated by Australia's quick bowlers when he charged the third ball of the day from Tait (2 for 40) and bashed him for four through cover. There were 10 runs from the eventful over, which also contained the ugly bowled of the out-classed Peter Ingram for 0 and Tait sending a finger signal to McCullum.

In the second over McCullum planted a six through cover off Dirk Nannes' opening delivery, was almost caught next ball top edging a pull, and quickly flicked him to fine leg for a boundary. The new-ball bowlers couldn't match Friday's performance as they gave up 42 in the first four overs.

McCullum ended up on his back after his first attempt to scoop Nannes over the wicketkeeper, but he managed it the second time, with the ball just missing Haddin on the way to the boundary. He followed up by unleashing a huge six to midwicket to show he could mix the unorthodox and the traditional. Nannes returned for the 16th over and McCullum enjoyed swinging him twice into the stands on the legside as the bowler went for 51 off four.

After losing the strike in the middle stages when some of his team-mates disappeared, McCullum focused by blasting a fierce straight four off Steven Smith and brought up his half-century in the same over when he pulled to midwicket. He dusted off the scoop to surprise Daniel Christian and then pulled him for six behind square - 57 of his runs came in that segment.

Gareth Hopkins (36 off 17) was the perfect ally for McCullum as they put on 68 in five overs to regain their explosive momentum. McCullum kept going till the end and had a chance to seal the game in the Super Over, but he was as happy as every other local when Guptill squared the series.

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New Zealand 115 for 9 (Satterthwaite 42, Perry 3-14) beat Australia 98 (Nitschke 45, Bates 3-24) by 17 runs

New Zealand took their winning streak over Australia to five with a 17-run success in the second Twenty20 in Christchurch. The visitors had a chance to end their drought when they held the hosts to 115 for 9, but they were unable to break free in their reply and were dismissed on the final ball for 98.

Australia were a worrying 35 for 3, with Alex Blackwell and Lisa Sthalekar already gone, before Shelley Nitschke and Jess Cameron (16) combined. After Cameron was unfortunate to be lbw trying to sweep Kate Broadmore, Nitschke lifted the pace with a couple of strong boundaries to fine leg and straight down the ground, but they still needed 39 off four overs.

The asking rate was too high and Ellyse Perry (6) holed out at long off, giving Sara McGlashan the first of two good catches. Her running take at long-on took care of Nitschke for 45 off 51, ending Australia's charge, but McGlashan wasn't finished and her long throw helped run out Rene Farrell. Suzie Bates got 3 for 24, including the final-ball stumping of Julie Hunter, but all the bowlers had kept the pressure on.

Amy Satterthwaite, the Player of the Match, revived New Zealand after Perry crashed through the first three batsmen in the opening three overs. Perry was on a hat-trick after having Aimee Watkins lbw from the fourth ball of the day and picked up Maria Fahey to have the hosts 5 for 3 with Blackwell's sharp catch in the gully.

Satterthwaite arrived to save her side and put on 45 with McGlashan (16), who was dropped a couple of times, and was the eighth to fall after collecting 42 from 47 balls. A late push from Rachel Priest (14 off 9) took the team into three figures and gave them a match-winning total.

Sthalekar picked up two wickets, including bowling Sophie Devine with a big off break, to support Perry's 3 for 14. The teams' next engagement is an ODI at Queenstown before the series concludes with two games in Invercargill.

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Match Timings

Sunday, February 28, Christchurch
Start time 1800 (0500 GMT)

The Big Picture

Australia's big guns caused extreme damage in the opening Twenty20 on Friday and will chase a repeat performance on the South Island on Sunday. The speed of Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes and Mitchell Johnson was frightening and the locals were also hurt by the early muscle of David Warner and Shane Watson, the opening batsmen.

Fortunately for New Zealand there is only a day in between contests so there is little time for reflecting on the six-wicket defeat, which came with four overs remaining. Daniel Vettori and Mark Greatbatch, the coach, will hope their batsmen can be more aggressive in their second attempt against the trio of fast bowlers operating around 150kph. It won't be easy.

Form guide (most recent first)
New Zealand LWLLW
Australia WWWWN

Watch out for...

Shane Bond kept pace in the speed race with the Australians but it's one against three. After suffering in his first over from David Warner, which included a four and a pulled six, Bond returned to bowl Warner on the way to 2 for 32 from four. In 14 games he has 19 wickets and strikes every 17.2 balls, but his batsmen will be wanting more to make it a fair fight.

Cameron White didn't get to do much on Friday but when he arrived he showed his power with a four and a six in the last over to finish the game. If Australia bat first or have a bigger total to chase he will take on more responsibility and the bowlers will be especially conscious of his big hitting on the smaller ground. In 11 international innings he has cleared the boundary 13 times and owns a strike-rate of 135.42.

Team news

Tim Southee is the only person New Zealand can bring in to strengthen their line-up and his inclusion won't help the specialist batsmen, who struggled in the opening encounter. Nathan McCullum is the most likely to miss out, although Daniel Vettori will consider employing a second slow bowler again. "There are big square boundaries, so maybe the spinner will come more into play," he said. "We still need attacking weapons and maybe Tim Southee comes into our thinking."

New Zealand (possible) 1 Brendon McCullum, 2 Peter Ingram, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Gareth Hopkins (wk), 7 James Franklin, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Tim Southee, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Daryl Tuffey.

It would be hard to change the bowling attack after the stunning display, but Ryan Harris remains a front-line option. Shane Watson could be rested to let him in, with Brad Haddin, Travis Birt and Shaun Marsh contenders at the top of the order. Australia have 15 men in the squad, including Nathan Hauritz and Michael Hussey, so there are lots of choices.

Australia (possible) 1 Brad Haddin (wk), 2 David Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 David Hussey, 5 Cameron White, 6 Steven Smith, 7 Daniel Christian, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Dirk Nannes, 11 Shaun Tait.

Pitch and conditions
The ground in Christchurch is smaller than in Wellington, so expect more than the five sixes struck on Friday. A sunny day with a top of 26 is forecast, but it could be a cool finish, with the temperature expected to drop to a minimum of 12 overnight.

Stats and trivia

* The career strike-rate of Michael Clarke, who scored 18 off 26 in Wellington, is 102.20, which ranks him 27th on Australia's all-time list. Fourteen Australians have played more than 10 T20s and in that group Nathan Bracken is the only one who scores slower than Clarke.
* Daniel Vettori has the best strike-rate of the current New Zealand squad with a wicket every 15.2 balls, while Dirk Nannes and Ryan Harris lead the Australian outfit with a victim every 12 deliveries
* Friday night's win was Australia's fourth against New Zealand in four contests between the teams

Quotes
"Getting through the first six overs none down, that would be fantastic. And if we can restrict them with the ball it's our best chance of winning."
Daniel Vettori outlines his plans

"They've got the wrong team if they think that. I can guarantee everyone in that room is very keen to get out and play."
Michael Clarke rejects hopes in New Zealand that his side will ease off after a busy summer.

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Mitchell Johnson wants Australia to continue dominating New Zealand after their strong performance in the opening Twenty20 in Wellington on Friday. Johnson was Man of the Match in the crushing six-wicket win, which was set up by some extreme speed from Australia's fast bowlers.

New Zealand were dismissed for 118, with Johnson (3 for 19), Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes combining for seven victims as they unleashed spells touching 150kph. "I just think we're in a good state of mind at the moment and we're looking forward to keeping, I guess, dominating," Johnson said after the match. "When we've got a few guys in our side who can bowl ... 150-plus, it probably does make a bit of a difference.

"You don't really get an easy run at it if first-change and second-change can bowl that quick pace as well. It makes it tougher for their guys. I'm pretty glad we're not facing us actually."

The Australians can wrap up a 2-0 result in the Twenty20s with a win in Christchurch on Sunday before the one-day international and Test series complete the tour. "Definitely guys were a little bit nervous coming over," Johnson said. "We knew that New Zealand love the shorter forms of the game and do pretty well at it. There was nerves in the dressing room. I definitely felt it."

James Franklin, who top scored for the hosts with 43, believes his team can fight back from the opening disappointment. "With Twenty20 it comes down to a few guys doing exceptionally well on the night and we just didn't have that," he told NZPA. "We know if we can turn up as a group then three or four of us really stand up and contribute."

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While the administrators at the Gauteng Cricket Board continue to rumble in the concrete jungle, the Lions have finally turned their season around by sneaking into the semi-finals of the Pro20 competition. They went on to win the first leg of their best of three last-four clash with the Titans.

First, it was a two-run win over the Eagles that helped the Lions advance to the knock-out stage of the competition. They racked up an impressive 184 for 6, with Jonathan Vandiar's 56 off 40 balls taking the Lions from 18 for 1 to 138 for 3. The middle order chipped in with handy contributions from Richard Cameron (36 off 20) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (37 off 23). The Eagles bowlers conceded their biggest total in the competition and only Johan van der Wath (2 for 22) and Jandre Coetzee (9 for 27) looked to be doing any sort of containing job.

The Eagles lost Adrian McLaren with the score on just 16, but Morne van Wyk's impressive run in the competition continued. He smashed 74 off 51 balls and when he departed the Eagles needed 35 runs to win off three overs. The Lions sank their claws into the Eagles three times in those final three overs, with Ethan O' Reilly (2 for 36), Zander de Bruyn (1 for 21) and Shane Burger (1 for 46) all striking once. The Eagles needed 18 runs off the last three balls, and managed 15. Robbie Frylink had the best return for the Lions with 2 for 35, and kept his position at the top of the bowling rankings, which he shares with team-mate O'Reilly.

In Centurion, the Warriors suffered their first defeat of the tournament and it was a hefty one. They went down by 55 runs to the Titans. The hosts scored 182 for 4 in their 20 overs. Jacques Rudolph was the main contributor with 69 off 37 balls, including six fours and three sixes. Gulam Bodi added 44 off 37 balls. Garnet Kruger (3 for 26) removed Rudolph, Bodi and took the opening wicket of Blake Snijman.

The Warriors needed one batsman to go big but their highest scorer was Jon-Jon Smuts (34 off 29) and the rest of the batsmen failed to get out of the teens. Pierre Joubert took the wickets of the opening batsmen, Smuts and Ashwell Prince (13 off 11) before David Wiese mauled the Warriors with his 5 for 19. With none of the batsmen able to get going, the Warriors ended on 127. That result cut the Eastern Cape franchise's lead at the top of the table to just one point. Ironically, it was the Titans who were nipping at their heels in second place.

The first semi-final took place in Johannesburg, where the Lions left it to the last ball to beat the Titans by four wickets. The Titans batted first and lost two wickets in the fourth over to O'Reilly (2 for 18) to dent their charge. Heino Kuhn's 35 off 27 balls along with Wiese's 26 off 12 balls added late impetus for the visitors who finished on 143 for 5. Burger (2 for 24) was the only other wicket taker for the hosts.

The Lions' chase began in subdued fashion, with just 32 runs on the board in the sixth over when Vandiar (10 off 16) become Ethy Mbhalati's (1 for 19) only victim. Neil McKenzie stayed calm, adding 35 off 34 balls, aided by the aggression of Richard Cameron (17 off 9) and van Jaarsveld (19 off 17). Faf du Plessis (3 for 18) removed McKenzie, van Jaarsveld and then captain Thami Tsolekile (20 off 10) to end as the Titans' best bowler. Jean Symes hit 30 off 25 balls to take the Lions to the brink, but it was up to Frylinck to get a boundary off the last ball to win the match. The Lions go to Centurion next week with a massive advantage over their neighbours, being one up in the tie.

In Port Elizabeth , Colin Ingram justified his inclusion in the national Twenty20 provisional squad with a fluent, undefeated 60 off 41 balls for the Warriors. They took on the Cobras in the second semi. The Cobras only made three inroads into the Warriors batting - the first two when Smuts (24 off 19) and Prince (5 off 12) departed by the sixth over and the only other when Justin Kreusch (11 off 16) fell to Robin Peterson (1 for 27). Davy Jacobs scored 42 off 32 not out as the Warriors totalled 149 for 3.

The Cobras lost Andrew Puttick for just three in their reply. Peterson opened the innings with Puttick and he carried his bat to end on an undefeated 50 off 46 balls. His only assistance came from captain Justin Kemp (43 off 32 balls). The Cobras needed seven to win off the last four balls and looked likely to win the match, until Rory Kleinveldt was run out by Rusty Theron, who also took 2 for 23, off the penultimate ball. They ended on 146 for 8 and go to Cape Town one down in their tie.

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Australia 119 for 4 (Hussey 46) beat New Zealand 118 (Franklin 43, Johnson 3-19) by 6 wickets

It was a different country but the same result for Australia as they breezed to a six-wicket win over an out-classed New Zealand in the first Twenty20 in Wellington. After an unbeaten home summer the visitors started their tour with another convincing display built on very fast bowling and powerful opening batting.

New Zealand were knocked over for 118 by the speed of Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes and Mitchell Johnson and their chances of defending the small total were basically extinguished as soon as David Warner and Shane Watson blasted 28 from the first two overs. The openers were dismissed quickly and Johnson's promotion to No. 4 failed, dropping the visitors to 39 for 3, but the small target allowed them to take their time and the win came with 24 balls to spare.

David Hussey, who hit Nathan McCullum for three fours in a row, was the aggressor in the 67-run partnership with Michael Clarke, who accumulated calmly for 18 off 26. Hussey finished with 46 from 36 balls and left shortly before the end when he drove McCullum to cover. Cameron White ended the game with a four and a straight six off Martin Guptill in a strong sign-off.

Warner didn't have a chance to try batting right handed, but he made an impact with his usual stance by introducing himself to Shane Bond with a lofted straight four and a six to square leg in the first six balls. The situation was worse in the next over for Daryl Tuffey, who was taken for 18 by Watson's four fours and a two.

They both left with 19 - and strike-rates of more than 150 - after Warner was bowled trying to slog another six from Bond and Watson was lbw to Daniel Vettori, who brought himself on in the fourth over. Vettori is always a threat against Australia and they got a sign of what life will be like over the next month as he allowed 1 for 13 from four. Bond touched 150kph in his opening spell to join the pace party and finished with 2 for 32.

Johnson's three early wickets left New Zealand at an uncomfortable 54 for 4 and the intervention of James Franklin, who collected a composed 43 off 42, was required to get them past 100. Only two other batsmen, Guptill (30) and Gareth Hopkins (21), reached double figures as the hosts were over-run.

Johnson, who finished with 3 for 19, joined in a frightening partnership with Tait and Nannes as the trio operated around 150kph. Tait and Nannes collected two wickets while Watson also chipped in with a couple of victims in a comprehensive performance from the attack.

Brad Haddin began the day in spectacular style when he dived to his right for a one-handed catch to remove the dangerous Brendon McCullum from the fourth ball. Johnson, the first-change, bowled Peter Ingram with his opening delivery to have the hosts 13 for 2 in the fifth over and he was also involved when Ross Taylor (9) was unlucky to be given out lbw by Billy Bowden. Taylor, a player who is so important to his side, was hit on the foot well outside off stump and departed at 3 for 33.

Finding the boundary was the hard thing for the home side and Australia's tight bowling prevented a quick start and a competitive score. Guptill broke free a handful of times but was taken by Johnson after Watson ran back to claim a top edge at midwicket.

A quick stand of 50 in 5.1 overs between Franklin and Hopkins was crucial in gaining some momentum for the hosts, but they quickly fell back and were dismissed on the final ball of the 20th over. They will need to improve dramatically for the second match in Christchurch on Sunday if they are going to end Australia's winning streak.

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Abdul Razzaq has refused to represent Lahore Lions in the upcoming RBS Twenty20 Cup, choosing instead to join an already powerful Sialkot Stallions side, after he was overlooked for the captaincy of his hometown team.

Razzaq had been selected by Lahore for this season's tournament, which begins from February 28 in Karachi. But unlike the last two seasons he turned out for the Lions, in 2006 and 2009, he was overlooked for the captaincy, the Lahore association opting for Salman Butt instead. The move irked Razzaq, more so given that he took the side to the final last year with a string of explosive performances that led to his own comeback into the national side.

"I spoke with the Lahore Association to ask why I had been dropped as the captain of the Lions," Razzaq told Cricistan.com. "I wanted to play for my native Lahore so I asked them to give me a merit-based reason for replacing me as the captain. I told them that I had no problem with being replaced as captain if they could give me a good reason for doing it.

"I reminded them that I'd taken the Lions to the semi-finals and the final of the last two T20 cups I had played. The association refused to give me any merit-based reasons and they told me that they didn't have to justify themselves to anyone. They said their decision was final and that I had to accept it."

There are other surprising big-name moves in the 13 city sides due to take part in what is the PCB's most successful and popular domestic event. Mohammad Yousuf, another Lions fixture, will be turning out for Islamabad Leopards instead, under the leadership of Shoaib Akhtar. Yousuf has long sought to prove that he can be a successful Twenty20 player and though he captained the Lions side in 2008, he was left out of their squad this year.

The Peshawar Panthers will also be without a number of regulars, such as Younis Khan, Yasir Hameed and Riffatullah Mohmand. The trio has switched to Abbottabad Rhinos instead. Younis's participation is still not certain, however. The Panthers will be led by former Test bowler Riaz Afridi and still have Umar Gul in their squad.

Squads

Karachi Dolphins: Mohammad Sami (capt), Shahid Afridi, Shaharyar Ghani, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan, Fawad Alam, Afsar Nawaz, Sohail Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Tanvir Ahmed, Ramiz Aziz, Azam Hussain, Fahadullah, Infanuddin, Tariq Haroon, Adnan Baig, Tahir Khan, Fahad Iqbal, Agha Sabir, Rumman Raees

Karachi Zebras: Danish Kaneria (capt), Asad Shafiq, Khurram Manzoor, Faisal Iqbal, Akbar Rehman, Hassan Raza, Nomanullah, Babar Rehman, Tabish Khan, Anwar Ali, Farhan Iqbal, Mohammad Waqas, Ali Asad, Haris Ayaz, Adnan Malik, Daniyal Ahsan, Javed Mansoor, Misbah Khan, Shan Masood

Quetta Region: Shoaib Khan, Mujeed Khan, Taimour Ali (capt), Manzoor Badini, Sabir Khosa, Bismillah Khan, Arun Lal, Nasrullah Khan, Jalat Khan, Nazar Hussain, Arshad Khan, Taimour Khan, Khalil Ahmed, Naushad Irshad, Taimour Mengal, Munir Ahmed, Talib Hussain, Abdul Jabbar, Mohammad Asif, Abdul Rehman

Islamabad Leopards: Rao Iftikhar, Shoaib Akhtar (capt), Raheel Majeed, Umair Khan, Naeem Anjum, Sarmad Bhatti, Azhar Mahmood, Zohaib Ahmed, Fayyaz Ahmed, Rana Shahzad Azam, Kamran Hussain, Fakhar Hussain, Mohammad Yousuf, Umair Mir, Faizan Riaz, Ameer Khan, Junaid Nadir, Ali Sarfraz, Irfan Talib

Rawalpindi Rams: Babar Naeem, Naveed Malik, Hammad Azam, Usman Saeed, Naveed Qureshi (capt), Zahid Mansoor, Adnan Mufti, Umer Amin, Jamal Anwar, Yasim Murtaza, Asif Mumtaz, Muhammad Ramiz, Sohail Tanvir, Muhammad Amir, Yasir Arafat, Sadaf Hussain, Fawad Hussain, Rizwan Akbar, Muhammad Ayaz, Muzamal Nizam

Multan Tigers: Abdul Rauf (capt), Waqas Sharif, Saeed Anwar jnr, Rameez Alam, Muhammad Irfan, Zulfiqar Babar, Kashif Naveed, Gulraiz Sadaf, Ansar Javaid, Ahmed Raza, Shahid Abbasi, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Ali, Ali Niazi, Shahid Akram, Junaid Iqbal, Rizwan Haider, Taimoor Dogar, Shahid Iqbal, Ali Moazzam

Abbottabad Rhinos: Younas Khan (capt), Yasir Hameed, Riffatullah Mommand, Adnan Raees, Wajid Ali, Ghulam Muhammad, Fawad Khan, Riaz Kail, Junaid Khan, Khalid Usman, Mir Azam Khan, Zeeshan Khan Jadoon, Umair Khan, Farooq Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Muhammad Naeem, Asif Afridi, Mohammad Sami, Sajjad Ali

Hyderabad Hawks: Shahid Qambrani (capt), Mir Ali Talpur, Zeeshan Gul, Ghulam Shabbir Solangi, Muhammad Awais, Lal Kumar, Adnan Brohi, Sharjeel Khan, Rizwan Ahmad, Ghulam Yasin, Zahid Mahmood, Kashif Bhatti, Azeem Ghumman, Muhammad Urs, Ayaz Brohi, Mashooq Bhutto, Aqeel Anjum, Rehan Nizamuddin, Ayaz Jamal, Nasarullah Memon

Lahore Lions: Salman Butt (capt), Kamran Akmal, Nasir Jamshed, Umar Akmal, Adnan Raza, Sohail Ahmad, Kashif Siddique, Waqas Ahmad, Wahab Riaz, Imran Ali, Aizaz Bin Ilyas Cheema, Usman Malik, Salman Qadir, Aamir Hayat, Azhar Ali, Tanzeel Altaf, Hamza Mubeen, Fahad Masood, Hamza Paracha, Shoaib Akram

Lahore Eagles: Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Aamir Sajjad, Khaqan Arsalan, Jahangir Mirza, Kamran Sajjid, Humayun Farhat (capt), Abil Ali, Muhammad Irshad, Muhammad Khalil, Muhammad Naveed, Hafiz Saad Nasim, Ali Azmat, Imad Ali, Arslan Mir, Shahnawaz Malik, Wasim Khan, Muhammad Zuhaib, Asif Raza, Jamshaid Ahmad

Peshawar Panthers: Riaz Afridi (capt), Umar Gul, Jan Nissar, Zohaib Khan, Aftab Khan, Shakeel ur Rehman, Zulfaqar Jan, Fawad Ali, Adil Amin, Sajjad Ahmed Jan, Hammad ul Hasan, Israrullah, Azam Jan, Idrees Khan, Imran Khan, M. Asif Khan, Azam Khan, Kashif Hayat, Jamal ud Din, Mehfooz Sabri

Faisalabad Wolves: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Shahid Nazir, Muhammad Hafeez, Naveed Latif, Zeeshan Asif, Usman Arshad, Khurram Shahzad, Ijaz Ahmad jnr, Ali Waqas, Muhammad Salman, Muhammad Asif Hussain, Muhammad Asif, Ali Raza, Muhammad Talha, Samiullah khan Niazi, Asad Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Imran Khalid, Ahmad Hayat, Muhammad Shahid

Sialkot Stallions: Shoaib Malik (capt), Imran Nazir, Muhammad Asif, Rana Naved, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Kamran Younis, Shakeel Ansar, Abdul Rehman, Shahid Yousaf, Mansoor Amjad, Qaisar Abbas, Adeel Malik, Hafiz Majid, Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Saeed, Faisal Naveed, M. Ayub Doggar, Naeemuddin, Shehzad Malik, Sheikh Haris Sohail.

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Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken remain in Australia's plans despite long-term injuries after they were named in the preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. Lee retired from Tests this week because his body can't cope with the workload, but he wants to return to national action in the limited-overs formats.

An elbow problem is Lee's current concern while Bracken is on the way back from surgery, but both have a tough task to win spots in the final 15-man squad for the tournament starting in April. Andrew Hilditch and his fellow selectors have also given hope to Brad Hodge, the 35-year-old batsman, who has not played for Australia since 2008.

There are four new players in the squad with George Bailey, the Tasmania captain, included as well as his state team-mate Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner. The Victoria allrounder John Hastings and Ben Cutting, the Queensland fast bowler, have also been given some encouragement after strong domestic campaigns.

"We consider the squad to contain a good blend of youth and experience with several players who have excelled in Twenty20 cricket both internationally and domestically this year," Hilditch said. "From this 30 we hope to pick a final World Twenty20 squad that if it plays to its ability will be a very exciting, entertaining and extremely competitive." Australia have been grouped with Pakistan and Bangladesh and must finish on top to avoid being knocked out in the first round for the second World Twenty20 in a row.

Australia men's squad Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Travis Birt, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Bracken, Daniel Christian, Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin (wk), Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Andrew McDonald, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes, Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Australia women's squad Jodie Fields (capt, wk), Sarah Andrews, Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Kris Britt, Melissa Bulow, Jessica Cameron, Sarah Coyte, Lauren Ebsary, Sarah Elliott, Rene Farrell, Katelyn Fryett, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy (wk), Julie Hunter, Jessica Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Meg Lanning, Renee Melton, Shelley Nitschke, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Kirsten Pike, Leah Poulton, Angela Reakes, Lisa Sthalekar, Selena Tainton, Elyse Villani, Julie Woerner, Laura Wright.

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Except for the omission of fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, there were no major surprises in Pakistan's preliminary 30-man squad for the defence of their World Twenty20 title in the Caribbean in two months' time. Injured fast bowler Sohail Tanvir, who has not played any cricket since November, was also overlooked.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said Shoaib had been overlooked because he had hardly played any cricket in the past ten months. Though Shoaib has only taken part in a couple of List A matches since the series against Australia in UAE last May, he had said last week that he was still confident of making an international comeback. He will lead Islamabad Leopards in the upcoming RBS Twenty20 Cup.

Butt said Tanvir would undergo knee surgery in Australia. "The doctors are not sure when he will regain the fitness," he told AP.

Another fast bowler who was missing from the probables was Mohammad Talha, who had been part of the squad for the two Twenty20s against England last weekend.

Squad: Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hassan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Naveed Yasin, Hasan Raza, Kamran Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Abdul Rehman, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider

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England cricketer Claire Taylor received her MBE at Windsor Castle today. Taylor was part of the England side that won both the Women's World Cup and the Women's World Twenty20 last year, cracking an unbeaten half-century to guide England to victory over Australia in the semi-final of the Twenty20 tournament. She was Player of the Tournament at both events and was named Women's Player of the Year at the ICC Awards in Johannesburg.

A veteran of England's Women's side, she has played 114 one-day internationals and 15 Tests since making her debut in an ODI against Australia at Southampton in 1998. She has also been a valued member of Berkshire and club Reading Ridgeway for over 14 years, and is currently ranked second in the world in the ICC ODI batting rankings.

"It was such a huge honour today," Taylor said after receiving her MBE. To be presented with this by the Queen at Windsor Castle, it's brilliant. I'm so honoured."

"It's best not to think about these things actually," she added. "You concentrate on the things you're good at, that you enjoy. In my case, that's playing cricket and it's putting on an England shirt and playing for your country. If you're lucky - and I have been to do all that - it's fantastic.

"I wouldn't be here if the team hadn't played some really great cricket. Hopefully, what they've done inspires a few others to take up the path of cricket. It's a great sport and you can get great rewards from it."

When asked to identify her personal highlights from a long international career, Taylor explained: "Chases as a batsman test me mentally and technically so they mean more to me. We've had some great performances over the last twelve months and I'd probably pick chasing 160-odd to beat Australia to get into the World Twenty20 Final."

Clare Connor, ECB's Head of England Women's Cricket, paid tribute to Taylor after she received her prestigious award. "Claire Taylor's contribution to women's cricket is immense," she said. "Claire has amassed over 5,000 runs in all formats of international cricket.

"In February 2008, she notched up her seventh century to become the joint highest century-maker in women's ODIs. In 2009 she made history when she was named as one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year - the first female to receive the accolade.

"In 2009 she was instrumental in England lifting two ICC trophies, the World Cup and the World Twenty20; in both tournaments Claire was named Player of the Tournament for her consistent contributions with the bat," she added.

"Claire's influence stretches far beyond the England team. She helps raise standards of girls' cricket in her area through working on a Gifted and Talented Programme and she is heavily involved in Sport Relief this year. In short, she is a tremendous ambassador for our sport and she thoroughly deserves to be recognised with the honour of an MBE."

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Starting Time

Friday, February 26, Wellington
Start time 1900 (0600 GMT)

The Big Picture

Australia often play international matches three days apart but rarely in two different countries. The last Twenty20 against West Indies in Sydney was followed by a quick flight across the ditch to Wellington for the first match on a month-long tour of New Zealand. They are coming off a home summer in which they did not lose a match in any format but New Zealand in their own conditions could be a tougher challenge. It is also Michael Clarke's first tour officially in charge of Australia's Twenty20 team - he captained them in England last year but only because Ricky Ponting was being rested.

New Zealand have had a successful home summer as well, losing only one match so far, the second Test against Pakistan. They have played more Twenty20 internationals - 31 - than any other country but have not quite mastered the format, with 13 victories. These games are the last chance for both sides to prepare and ascertain their best line-ups before the ICC World Twenty20, which starts in the Caribbean in late April.

Form guide (most recent first)
New Zealand WLLWW
Australia WWWNL

Watch out for...

Brendon McCullum can be hit-and-miss but he found some form during the Bangladesh series and 56 off 27 balls in the Twenty20 was quite a performance. That was followed by 185 in the only Test and McCullum will be keen to continue that sort of touch against the Australians. His power at the top of the order will need to be a key part of New Zealand's fight against Australia's on-song attack.

Shaun Tait's return to international cricket, albeit only at Twenty20 level, was one of the individual success stories of Australia's summer. He does not play first-class cricket anymore and prefers short, sharp spells to help him reach his best speeds, which peaked at 160.7kph against Pakistan in the Twenty20 in Melbourne. Most importantly, he has taken wickets and leaked few runs as his searing, swinging yorkers and shorter deliveries have proved hard to handle.

Team news

New Zealand have named a 12-man squad, which makes their selections relatively easy. Shane Bond is back in the group having missed the Bangladesh series and Tim Southee is the most likely to make way for Bond. The opener Peter Ingram made a promising start to his international career against Bangladesh but will face a tougher challenge against a fiercely quick Australian new-ball attack.

New Zealand (possible) 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Peter Ingram, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Gareth Hopkins, 7 James Franklin, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Nathan McCullum, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Daryl Tuffey.

Dirk Nannes was rested from the final Twenty20 against West Indies but expect him to return to form a very fast opening combination with Shaun Tait. Ryan Harris could be squeezed out despite making a good debut on Tuesday, or the selectors might decide to give Mitchell Johnson a rest. Daniel Christian also picked up two wickets on debut and although both were caught in the deep, he may hold on to his spot at No. 7. Michael Hussey replace Shaun Marsh in the squad but is unlikely to be in Australia's strongest XI, given that he was overlooked for the three Twenty20s at home.

Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 David Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 David Hussey, 5 Cameron White, 6 Brad Haddin (wk), 7 Daniel Christian, 8 Steven Smith, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Dirk Nannes, 11 Shaun Tait.

Pitch and conditions
Twenty20 internationals at Westpac Stadium have tended to produce scores around 150-160. The forecast for Friday in Wellington is fine with a top temperature of 19C.

Stats and trivia

* New Zealand and Australia have played three Twenty20 internationals against each other - Australia have won them all
* It is five years since these same teams played the first ever Twenty20 international - of the 22 players involved in that match only Brendon McCullum, Daryl Tuffey, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey are in the mix to play this game
* Brendon McCullum has played more Twenty20 internationals than any other player in the world and has also scored the most runs

Quotes
"They've played bloody well, they've had a relatively easy run I suppose, in terms of the pressure they've been put under so hopefully we can put them under some huge pressure."
Shane Bond is keen to test Australia more than Pakistan and West Indies did

"We've had a pretty good run and I'm not sure who they have been playing lately but they'd want to front up pretty well then, wouldn't they."
Australia's coach Tim Nielsen isn't convinced that New Zealand have had it any harder, facing Bangladesh.

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The Australian Cricketers' Association remains hopeful that its IPL security requirements can be met despite Lalit Modi's blunt criticism of players' concerns this week. The ACA chief executive, Paul Marsh, said there were positive signs that the IPL's security firm was taking seriously the list of safety issues that worried players after an independent report found that a terrorist threat against the league was credible.

"Our security adviser Reg Dickason has been working with the IPL's security adviser, Nicholls-Steyn," Marsh told Cricinfo. "They've been working for a few days now on what we've identified as the issues that have come out of various player meetings.

"Nicholls-Steyn is aware of those and they are working through the issues and we're making some positive progress. It's probably looked more positive over the last few days than what it has [before]. There's still 15 days to go before the event starts and things can happen very quickly in India, we've seen that over the years."

Marsh stressed that the Australian players involved in the IPL still wanted to go ahead and take part but as it is not a national team tour, the decision remains with the individual players. Modi has been vociferous on Twitter in the past couple of days, insisting the IPL would not "be dictated by players associations where to play" and that anyone who pulled out might be placing in jeopardy their future participation in the tournament.

Modi also had a dig at Ricky Ponting and said he had heard that Ponting was encouraging players not to go to the IPL. There had been reports that Ponting had disagreed with some senior freelance players, including Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne, at an ACA meeting on Tuesday but Marsh said the reports of a rift between players were untrue.

"I presented to the players the information that we had and opened it up for discussion … like any meeting I'd have with the players," he said. "Like just about every meeting, when you're dealing with a difficult issue, there are different points of view and there were definitely different points of view in this particular meeting. The players were completely unified on the position that they wanted to go.

"However, there was one school thinking they would only go if our security adviser, Reg Dickason who we trust, believes it's safe to go. There was another school that said it's a risk-and-reward type situation, would we go regardless. We got to a position at the end of it where we all said okay, let's put back to the IPL the things that we need so that all the players can go.

"If we can resolve those issues with them, and that is our hope, then we would expect to get to a point where our security adviser recommends that it's safe for the players to go. If we can't overcome these issues then the opposite is the most likely scenario. This is a decision to be made by each individual player."

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The MCC has confirmed it explored the possibility of joining a consortium bidding to buy an IPL franchise, and said matches could be held at Lord's if the MCC succeeds in buying a team.

"It's a logical conclusion that if the MCC were involved with an IPL side, to have that side playing at Lord's would be extremely exciting," Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, told BBC Sport.

There are two new franchises, which will be revealed on March 7, up for grabs with 12 Indian cities in the running. Bidding starts from a base price of US$225m, more than four times the US$50m base price that the original eight franchises were auctioned for in 2008. Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, previously announced that "a very famous football club in the UK is very interested in bidding" but that has so far proved little more than speculation.

It would be a major boon for the MCC, and Bradshaw travelled alongside Anthony Wreford, a trustee of the club, to India for a weekend of talks with consortium members and IPL officials. Discussions also included the ongoing partnership with the IPL to promote the MCC Spirit of Cricket campaign in the tournament.

"MCC has a proud history, is respectful of the game's traditions and always mindful of its role as guardian of the laws and spirit of cricket," said Bradshaw. "We would not pursue a path that we believed was contrary to the best interests of the sport or to the future health of Test match cricket.

"Undeniably, the game is changing. MCC, as an innovative, independent cricket club, wants to be at the heart of that change. Playing cricket is something that we have quite a bit of experience in - we compete in over 450 matches every year around the world and currently have a men's team in the UAE and a women's team in Trinidad & Tobago.

"The concept of MCC involvement in the IPL is something I believe is worthy of thorough investigation, and something that we'll take to our committee for their deliberation."

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Zimbabwe Cricket has expressed delight at record attendances for the Stanbic Bank 20 Series which finished last weekend.

The final at Harare Sports Club on Saturday attracted a crowd of around 7500 which is the biggest for a domestic match in living memory. It represented a triumph for the board following its decision to revamp the domestic structure at the start of the season.

In recent years attendances for any kind of match, including internationals, have more often than not been in the hundreds rather than thousands. However, crowds for the midweek matches in the nine-day tournament were low and Shingai Rhuhwaya, ZC's head of media and communications, said it was "a pity that more schools did not take up the invitation to attend".

She added: "Schools cricket is the lifeblood of the future, and it can only be hoped that, after the success of this tournament, more of the schools will be prompted to bring parties of their pupils during the week.

"Certainly the pupils who did attend appeared to have a great time and helped to create some atmosphere with their enthusiasm and cheering. Over the first weekend it was estimated that about 6000 attended in total over the two days."

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Irfan Pathan, who is suffering from a back injury, has been omitted from India's long-list of 30 probables for the ICC World Twenty20 to be held in West Indies from April 30.

R Ashwin, who was picked for the Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka, features in the preliminary squad, that also includes R Vinay Kumar, Naman Ojha and Wriddhiman Saha.

Irfan led both the runs and wickets tally for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy, with 22 wickets at an average of 18.54 and 397 runs at 49.62 in five matches. But he missed Baroda's matches in the Ranji Trophy one-dayers.

Naman Ojha gets the selectors' nod on the back of his performances in the IPL as Rajasthan Royals' wicketkeeper. In 16 domestic Twenty20 matches, he averages 23.50, at a strike-rate of 125.09. More recently, he struck a strokeful 167 in a Ranji one-dayer against the Railways. Saha, who made his Test debut against South Africa in Nagpur as a batsman, is the fourth keeper in the preliminary squad that also includes MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik.

Manish Pandey, who became the first Indian to score a century in the IPL, also figures in the list. Pandey followed his IPL heroics with a string of consistent scores in the Ranji, Duleep and Vijay Hazare Trophies to force his way into the national reckoning.

The preliminary squad includes eight batsmen, four wicketkeepers, four allrounders, 10 fast bowlers and four spinners.

Probables: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, M S Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, S Sreesanth, Sudeep Tyagi, Rohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Piyush Chawla, Abhimanyu Mithun, Manish Pandey, R P Singh, Munaf Patel, M Vijay, Vinay Kumar, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin

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A triumphant Afghanistan team returned home to a joyous welcome from hundreds of fans after securing a place at the World Twenty20 tournament in West Indies. A large crowd of supporters at Kabul's airport waved the national flag and sang patriotic songs to greet the team on their arrival, AFP reported.

"Our national cricket team returns home today and we have come to show them our appreciation for their achievement and to further encourage them," said Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, finance minister and Afghan Cricket Board chairman.

After wins over Ireland, Scotland and USA in the group stages of the Qualifiers in Dubai, Afghanistan held their nerve to beat UAE in a low-scoring semi-final to be sure of admission to their first major tournament.

"Certainly it was a dream of all the players and the Afghan people, and God fulfilled it," captain Nowroz Mangal said of their winning streak at the Qualifiers.

Afghanistan finished the qualifying tournament in style, beating Ireland by eight wickets in the final, meaning that they will now face India and South Africa in Group C of the World Twenty20, which begins on April 30.

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The West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) has expressed satisfaction with the security arrangements being made for the IPL, becoming the first players' organisation to give the green signal to their cricketers to feature in the Twenty20 tournament.

Player safety has become a major issue after an independent report, commissioned by the players' unions in England, South Africa and Australia, had said there was a credible security threat to the IPL, and suggested moving the tournament out of India.

WIPA's comments backing the Caribbean players' participation in the 2010 edition comes a day after Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, had insisted the tournament would be held in India and strongly criticised those who had expressed security concerns.

"Apart from being in contact with a number of key IPL personnel, WIPA has also sought independent advice from organisations which have conducted similar security tests," WIPA said in a press release.

"WIPA is convinced that the organisers and the government are sparing no effort to ensure that players' welfare and security are not in any way compromised. WIPA will therefore support its players' participation in the IPL tournament."

Among those who have been most concerned over safety are Australian cricketers, whose players' association helped formulate a list of security demands for IPL organisers earlier this week following a meeting attended by a majority of Australian cricketers due to play in next month's tournament.

Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, had also warned earlier this week of a spate of player withdrawals from the IPL after the England team's security adviser Reg Dickason said the threat from the 313 Brigade was credible and that security could not be guaranteed in India.

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Ijaz Butt, the chairman of PCB, has said no Pakistani team will participate in the Champions League Twenty20 this year.

"I have already spoken to Lalit Modi about this and there is no chance of any team from Pakistan playing in the Champions League this year," Butt was quoted as saying by PTI. "After the way our players were treated [in the IPL auction] I don't see our players or teams taking part in the Champions League this year."

The Champions League features the best domestic Twenty20 teams from across the world. The first edition of the tournament was held in India last year. Pakistan was originally included as one of the participating countries, but they were omitted due to the political fallout of the Mumbai terror attacks. The venue for the 2010 tournament is yet to be announced.

Despite the exclusion, and the subsequent IPL cold-shoulder, Lalit Modi had expressed confidence that Pakistan would return to future editions of the leagues. Butt, however, said that this was still undecided.

"Our future participation in the IPL and Champions League remains undecided but this year atleast we are not taking part in either event."

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Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has been rested from the 13-man squad for the only Twenty20 international against Zimbabwe in Trinidad on February 28. Denesh Ramdin has been named captain for the match and a West Indies board media release said that Gayle was "expected to be available" for the five-match one-day series that follows.

West Indies have been boosted by the return of four players who were injured for the recent ODI series in Australia, which they lost 0-4. Shivnarine Chanderpaul has recovered from the thumb injury he sustained during the Test leg of the Australia tour, Sulieman Benn's knee has healed and so has Adrian Barath's hamstring. Darren Bravo, who suffered a shoulder injury during the Champions League Twenty20 in India last November, has also returned to the squad but his brother, Dwayne, is still out after breaking his thumb while playing for Victoria during the Big Bash.

Apart from the four injured players returning to the mix, allrounder Dave Bernard jnr and opener Andre Fletcher have also been recalled. They were part of West Indies' Champions Trophy squad in September 2009 but missed the trip to Australia.

Zimbabwe's tour begins with a 50-over practice match against a University of the West Indies' Vice-Chancellor's XI at the Frank Worrell Oval in Trinidad on Friday before the Twenty20 on Sunday.

Squad: Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard jnr, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Smith.

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Michael Clarke is wary of New Zealand's bowling attack and aggressive batsmen as he makes his first tour with his new Twenty20 side. Clarke has won his three matches in charge since Ricky Ponting retired and the Australians signed off with an eight-wicket thrashing of West Indies in Sydney on Tuesday.

Shane Bond, the fast bowler, wants to give Australia their biggest test of the summer and Clarke is expecting a tough assignment. "They've got a good attack," Clarke said in Sydney before departing for New Zealand. "They've got some good strikers of the ball, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum, and they've got a great captain, Dan Vettori, so we have to be at our best."

The World Twenty20 starts at the end of April and Australia have overhauled their team since they were knocked out at the first stage during the 2009 event in England. Clarke and Cameron White are in charge and Clarke is not getting carried away by the team's strong start against Pakistan and West Indies.

"I feel we're a long way from where I'd like us to be, but I certainly believe we're improving, we've got a good squad," Clarke said. The series begins on Friday in Wellington and finishes in Christchurch on Sunday.

"It's really important that we look forward to our first tour as a T20 team and try and continue our success," he said. "They are our last two games leading up to the World Cup, so I think it's really important to continue to build that momentum going into the World Cup."

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Lalit Modi has strongly criticised parties that have expressed concern over the security situation at the IPL, including the Federation of International Cricketers Association and Ricky Ponting.

"We will not be dictated by players associations where to play. DLF IPL will be played in India," Modi posted on his Twitter account, in reaction to safety concerns raised by an independent report commissioned by the players' unions in England, South Africa and Australia, which suggested moving the IPL outside India.

The report, written by the England team's security adviser Reg Dickason, said there was a credible terrorist threat to the IPL. The Australian Cricketers' Association had decided to formulate a set of security demands for IPL organisers, following a meeting between Australian players in which Ricky Ponting had apparently clashed with IPL regulars Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchist and Shane Warne.

"[I've] been told Ricky Ponting is pressuring players not to come. Maybe it's due to the fact he was dropped from KKR," Modi tweeted.

Modi said that individual players could choose to stay away from the IPL, but such a move could risk their future association with the event. "We will allow replacement for those who decide not to show up. They risk being in future IPLs. The call will be theirs. If a few players play into the hands of the FICA and not show up, no issues.

"We allow only four international players per team. [If a] few miss, no issues. We have great talent in each team. More opportunity for replacement to others. We have 98 players on the waiting list eager to get called in for replacement."

Modi refused to recognise the FICA and was critical of the various players' associations that were bringing up security concerns to "arm-twist" the IPL. "I have been sent messages through various quarters to entertain FICA president Tim May. Unfortunately we do not recognise FICA or any agents," Modi tweeted.

Modi cited examples of sports events currently being hosted in India, such as the India-South Africa series, the hockey World Cup and the upcoming India-Australia series that have not come under security threats like the IPL has.

"South African players are touring India as we speak - security is fine for them now as provided by the Indian government. Australia tour India in October - will the Australian Cricketers' Association dictate them not coming then? Doubt it," Modi tweeted.

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Australia 2 for 142 (Warner 67, Watson 62*) beat West Indies 7 for 138 (Deonarine 36*, Harris 2-27) by eight wickets

David Warner hammered the second-fastest Twenty20 international half-century to hand Australia an eight-wicket win over West Indies and complete their dreams of an unbeaten summer. Warner raced to fifty from 18 deliveries, beating his own 19-ball effort from last season, as Australia reeled in the target of 139 with a ridiculous 50 deliveries to spare.

West Indies' total looked semi-competitive until the first over of the chase when Warner and Shane Watson took 26 off Kemar Roach, who bowled too short and allowed Warner to swing through midwicket. There were three sixes in the over - as many as the visitors hit in their entire innings - and the contest was all but decided.

By the time Warner had cleared the boundary off Darren Sammy in the second over, he had 33 from eight deliveries and Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball half-century record was conceivably in danger. He struck seven sixes in total, all in the midwicket to long-on region and including at least one off each of the six bowlers he faced, before he holed out for 67 from 29.

At the other end, Watson was so good that he too entered the list of quickest fifties, when he reached the mark from 26 balls, but he was utterly cast into the shadows while Warner was at the crease. Watson finished with an unbeaten 62 from 33 and after Brad Haddin fell with one run needed, the debutant Daniel Christian struck a four to complete the triumph.

The win ended the summer on a high for Australia, who since the introduction of ODIs in the 1970s had only had one other summer - 2000-01 - when they didn't lose a match. Warner and Watson blazed home but the result was really set up by an outstanding effort in the field as they again caused problems for West Indies' top order.

The debutants Ryan Harris and Christian grabbed two early wickets each and Steven Smith was everywhere in the field, producing one of the most memorable catches of the summer. The trouble started when Chris Gayle tried to flick Harris over square leg and top-edged to Smith at third man for 12.

Harris followed two balls later with Runako Morton, who edged to Cameron White at second slip for a golden duck. White's catch was sharp but there was far better to come from Smith, who had impressed in the first game on Sunday with two athletic takes on the boundary.

He eclipsed those efforts with a leaping catch at deep midwicket to give Christian his maiden international wicket when Travis Dowlin's heave off middle stump looked to be sailing for six. Dowlin was the man who appeared most likely to guide a West Indies recovery and he made an admirable 31 from 32 balls without ever truly finding perfect touch.

Dowlin needed more assistance from the middle order but Morton, Kieron Pollard, Wavell Hinds and Dwayne Smith at Nos. 3 to 6 all failed to reach double figures. Hinds fell victim to Australia's slick fielding when he tried to get off the mark with a perilous single only to see White at point throw to Smith at the bowler's end where the batsman was short.

There was a late recovery from Narsingh Deonarine (36 not out) and Sammy, who hit 26 from 11, but the inadequacy of their total was shown by Warner and Watson. It was a memorable way to end a summer of Australian dominance.

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Hashim Amla, the South Africa batsmen, has been signed by Nottinghamshire for the first seven weeks of the 2010 county season. Amla will provide cover for Australian batsman David Hussey, who will play for Nottinghamshire after the IPL and the World Twenty20 in the West Indies.

"Six of our Championship fixtures begin before the end of May, so our main aim in the recruitment process was to find a batsman who we felt could score consistently in four day-cricket," Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell said. "Hashim is having a good time in India, he's not involved in South Africa's Twenty20 side and he hasn't got an IPL contract so he fits the bill.

"Pursuing county cricket is a good option for a player in his position and hopefully he'll leave with a positive impression of us and the door will be open for him to return at some stage in the future."

Amla is currently in India with the South African ODI squad. He was the Player of the Series in the recently-completed two-Test series, after scoring 490 runs and being dismissed just once.

He is expected to make his debut for Nottinghamshire in a three-day game against Durham UCCE from April 10 and will leave Trent Bridge after the County Championship match against Essex which concludes on June 1.

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Shaun Marsh's lingering back problem has given Michael Hussey a chance to gatecrash the World Twenty20 after he was called into Australia's squad for the opening two games of the New Zealand tour. Hussey's Twenty20 prospects seemed bleak when he was left out of the original unit and he has not been required since the team was knocked out in the first round of last year's global event in England.

Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Hussey had a chance to push for a spot in the World Twenty20 squad for the event in the Caribbean in April and May. "Hussey has shown excellent form throughout this Australian summer, is well equipped for Twenty20 cricket and thoroughly deserves this opportunity," he said.

Hussey, who remains a key figure in the 50-over team, has played 18 Twenty20 internationals and scored 226 runs at a strike-rate of 134.52. The first match of the tour is in Wellington on Friday and is followed by the game in Christchurch on Sunday.

Marsh, the opener, hurt his back in the warm-up before the third ODI against West Indies two weeks ago and has been hampered ever since. "While he continues to improve there are still some signs of the injury," Alex Kountouris, Australia's physio, said. "He will continue to be monitored before a decision is made on his availability for the one-day component of the tour to New Zealand."

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The Australian Cricketers' Association will help formulate a list of security demands for IPL organisers following a meeting attended by the majority of Australian cricketers due to play in next month's tournament. Paul Marsh, the ACA's chief executive, said the players want to be involved in the event, but there are safety fears following a threat from the 313 Brigade, Al-Qaeda's operational arm in Pakistan.

"The independent report has identified some serious concerns with aspects of the current security process," Marsh said after the meeting in Sydney. "Specifically these concerns relate to the reported direct threat against the event and the status and implementation of the IPL's security plan.

"The process from here is for all players associated to meet with their player groups and for all of us to feed back the concerns raised from these meetings to the IPL. This will be coordinated through our peak body the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations. From here we will await a response from the IPL."

Heath Mills, the New Zealand Players' Association chief, also outlined the security concerns at a press conference in Christchurch. "There have been threats against cities in India, and clearly a direct threat against the event," Mills said. "A combination of those and our lack of confidence in security management plans have led us to having to ask some questions of the IPL and see whether they can alleviate those concerns.

"It's one thing to have a security management plan, it's a much different thing to see it delivered and delivered well. It's quite complex when you consider the IPL is played across 12 cities, 12 police jurisdictions throughout India. There are some real concerns around that aspect."

So far the IPL has rejected dealing with players' associations, a move which forced unions from Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa to commission their own safety report on the situation in India. Reg Dickason, who has worked as a security advisor for the England and Australia teams, delivered his findings to the associations at the weekend and Marsh outlined the details to most of the 22 Australian players signed up for the tournament.

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Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, has said his country's ongoing tour of India is not an indicator that the players who are scheduled to feature in the IPL in March are comfortable with security arrangements for the tournament.

Smith returned to South Africa after the second Test in Kolkata because of a finger injury and missed the three-ODI series, which began in Jaipur amid a reported terrorist threat in the city. "The guys were nervous before the game but we need to trust the process we have always used with CSA and the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA)," Smith told Supersport. "We would prefer to play in a more peaceful environment but that's the nature of the world we live in at the moment.

"Players remain concerned about the security issues for IPL. This is a big event with lots of different players, stadia, hotels and travel arrangements. The help and assistance we get for this event from our players association will be very important to us. Everyone is monitoring the situation very closely at the moment."

Tony Irish, the SACA chief executive, said, "The Jaipur threat was investigated by CSA's security consultants, Nicholls Steyn and Associates. We will rely on their advice as to its legitimacy, what level of risk it presents to the team and what security measures are necessary."

He also agreed that the IPL represented a very different set of circumstances to a national tour where security was more easily controlled. "The IPL is an Indian domestic tournament and the players go there as individuals playing for eight different franchise teams," Irish said. "The boards of the different countries can't really be expected to review the security plans so it falls to the players associations in each country to do this for players. We take that responsibility very seriously. I can't think of anything more important than player safety and we won't compromise in any way on that."

Meanwhile, the Australian Cricketers' Association said it would help formulate a list of security demands following a meeting attended by the majority of Australian cricketers due to play in next month's tournament.

Security fears regarding the upcoming IPL have intensified after the 313 Brigade, Al-Qaeda's operational arm in Pakistan, issued a warning to "the international community" not to send its representatives to major sports events being staged in India.

Tim May, the chief executive of FICA, warned of a spate of player withdrawals from the tournament due to security concerns, and the England team's security adviser Reg Dickason said the threat from the 313 Brigade was credible and that security could not be guaranteed in India.

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Pakistan's next full-time coach is "99%" certain to be a local man, according to PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, though a tweaked coaching set-up may also look at incorporating inputs from foreign coaches as and when required. Waqar Younis, Butt said, is among the menthe board is looking at.

"The full-time coach of the Pakistan side will be 99% a Pakistani," Butt told Cricinfo. "We have two-three people in mind and Waqar is one of those that we have met and are looking at. A decision will be taken in the next couple of days on this."

Butt's comments seem to all but shut the door on speculation over the last few weeks on a foreign coach being appointed to the national side, increasing the likelihood that Waqar may land the role. The board did approach Greg Chappell, though he turned down the offer. Mickey Arthur's name has also come up, though he has yet to be approached and it is believed would be keener on a short-term role.

The post is not a particularly attractive one for foreign candidates, given the relative insecurity of any administration that makes the appointment. The security situation in the country will also be a factor, though neither of Pakistan's last two foreign coaches - Bob Woolmer or Geoff Lawson - had any problems staying in the country's cricket headquarters in Lahore.

But the peculiar nature of Pakistan's future commitments now may lead to the board appointing foreign consultants as and when required. All of Pakistan's home commitments will be played abroad for the forseeable future, either in the UAE, or in specific arrangements with other countries: the 'home series' against New Zealand, for example, last year was played in New Zealand, while they will play a much-postponed 'home series' against Australia in England later this year.

For these commitments Pakistan may look to get inputs from consultants. "We may hire foreign coaches for consultants positions, or have specific positions, depending on what and where our commitments are and what our needs are," Butt said. "But our full-time coach is most likely to be a local." In the summer's Tests against Australia and England in England, for instance, Arthur may yet be brought on board to play a consulting role of some kind.

Pakistan's two foreign coaches in the last few years had a mixed time. Woolmer had some success with the side between 2004 and 2006, but by the time of his death during the World Cup a year later, the experiment had soured. Soon after Woolmer's demise, the board said they would hire a local coach, only to U-turn and plump for Geoff Lawson instead. He had a tougher time and though popular with the players, he was removed and replaced by Intikhab Alam, soon after the administrative change that saw Butt take over as chairman in 2008.

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